Steam and dry iron capable of being used with tap water



Feb. 26, 1963 l. JEPSON 3,078,605

STEAM AND DRY IRON CAPABLE OF BEING USED WITH TAP WATER Filed Sept. 19. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 77 7 3" '4 I; INVENTOR. Hlgmal I. JEPSON Feb. 26, 1963 STEAM AND DRY IRON CAPABLE OF BEING USED WITH TAP WATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19. 1957 INVENTOR. M21 J F tilt/wt BY 3,078,695 STEAM AND DRY IRON CAPABLE OF BEING UED WITH TAP WATER [var Jepson, Oak Park, IlL, assignor to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 1111., a corporation of Iiiinois Filed Sept. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 684,953 6 tllaims. (CI. 38-77) This invention relates to sadirons, and more particularly to steam irons which may be used with tap water.

Steam irons have been used for a considerable period of time and their use is increasing at a rapid rate. In steam irons known hereto, it has been essential to use distilled water so that the steam passages do not become fouled up with deposits of lime and other incrustations inherent in the use of tap water. Distilled water is, of course, much more expensive than tap water. There have been two types of steam irons in widespread use. One of these is the reservoir type such as that disclosed and claimed in my Patent Re. 24,181, in which the water reservoir is carried by the iron itself. The other is the flash type having a separate, detachable water reservoir such as disclosed and claimed in my Patent 2,744,344, and in my Pat. No. 2,871,587, issued February 3, 1959. Irons of both these types include a sole plate having a labyrinth steam-generating chamber formed in the sole plate covered by a sealing plate and supplied with water from the reservoir. The sole plate has exit ports from the labyrinth steam-generating chamber to the ironing surface. In an iron of the reservoir type, the sealing plate and the reservoir are enclosed in a shell covering the entire sole plate and'they are removable therefrom only by substantially dismantling the iron. if ordinary tap water is used, the steam-generating chamber, its inlet port and the outlet port or ports thereof become covered and fouled with mineral deposits left by flashing the water into steam. Such deposits clog up these ports and also reduce the heat transfer from the sole plate to the water in the steam-generating-chamber. Frequent removal of the deposits'must be made to keep the iron operable if tap water is used. With these prior art irons, the irons had to be practically completely disassern-beld to provide access to the steam-generating chamber and the chambers themselves were of configurations very difiicult to scrape and clean. As a result, for all practical purposes, the more expensive distilled water had to be used.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a' steam ironof a construction wherein the portions thereof accumulating deposits from tap water may be quickly and easily cleaned.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a steam iron having steam-generating chambers formed in the upper face thereof covered by a readily removable cover and provided with a scraper which may be rotated to clean deposits from the chambers.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a steam iron having a sole plate provided with an annular depression in the upper face thereof serving to receive water to be generated into steam and also having a bore centrally located relative to an annular groove extending through the sole plate to eject steam from water in the groove to the bottom of the sole plate. The shell for the sole plate, which covers substantially the entire upper portion of the sole plate, is provided with an opening directly over the annular groove. A closure member, is positioned in this opening and provides access to the steam-generating chamber.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

3,678,605 Patented Feb. 26, 1963 ice For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an ironing board with which is associated the steam iron of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the iron shown in FIG. 1 with portions thereof shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the iron shown in FIG. 1 with portions thereof broken away;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a sole plate of the iron shown in FIG. 1 with scraper assembled therewith;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical section of a portion of the iron shown in FIG. 1 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of a part of the scraper shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the part of the scraper shown in FIG. 4.

The present invention provides a steam iron having a steam-generating chamber which is easily accessible for cleaning purposes. The. sole plate is formed with an annular groove on the upper face thereof which comprises the steam chamber. A bore centrally located relative to the annular groove extends through the sole plate to transmit steam generated in the steam chamber to the ironing surface of the sole plate. The heat insulating shell which covers most of the sole plate has an opening directly over the steam chamber. A closure member or cap is designed to be received in the opening in the shell and close the top of the annular groove to form a steam-generating chamber therein. The cap may be removed completely from the iron by unthreading a single securing screw. Once the cap has been removed the steam-generating chamber is easily accessible for clean ing. A scraper having a central scraping post is designed to fit into the bore in the sole plate and be rotated to scrape incrustations from the bore. The scraper is provided with arm portions positioned radially from the central post and fitting into the annular groove, and as the central post is rotated, the arm portions travel along the groove and scrape incrustations therefrom.

There is shown in the drawings a steam iron 10 to be used with a water reservoir 11 which is mounted on an ironing board 13 and which supplies water to the iron 10 through a hose 12. The iron and reservoir are generally similar to those disclosed in my above-mentioned Patent 2,744,344 and copending application except for a cover or shell 22 and the steam chamber design as will become apparent as the description proceeds. The iron inciudes a V-shaped electric resistance heating element 14 (FIG. 2) embedded in a cast aluminum sole plate 15 and supplied with power from an electric cord 16 to heat the sole plate 15 to the desired temperature. The sole plate is provided with a cavity 20 which receives a thermostat 21 for controlling the temperature of the iron. The cover or shell 22 fits over the upper portion of the sole plate 15 to act as a heat barrier between the sole plate and the hand of the user, enclose the thermostat and present an attractive appearance for the upper portion of the iron. A handle 23 fits over a spacer plate 24 secured to the shell 22 and spaced slightly above the shell 22. The handle 23 carries a temperature control knob 25 at its forward end and is provided with suitable known means extending through the interior thereof to control the thermostat 21, thereby controlling the temperature of construction thereof. The tube 31 is secured by welding or brazing to the shell 22 with the lower end thereof in communication with a flexible metal tube 28. The tube 28 carries the water through the wall of a cupshaped sealing plate or inner chamber covering cap 32 to an elbow 29. The elbow 29 terminates in a downwardly directed spout 33, which supplies water to a steam-generating chamber 42. A bushing 30 has a necked down or reduced portion secured by welding or brazing to the lower end of the elbow 29 and a flange portion secured to the cap 32. The bushing 30 except for its reduced lower end is spaced from the elbow 29, and rigidly secures the elbow 29 to the sealing plate 32.

The sealing plate 32 is secured detachably to the sole plate 15 by acap screw 34 threaded into a tapped bushing 35 having a lower shoulder 36 locked and bonded to the sole plate 15 by casting the aluminum of the sole plate around the bushing 35. A gasket 38 of a heat resistant elastomer such as, for .example, silicone, is pressed between the plate 32 and the top surface of outer wall 37 of a groove 42 in the sole plate to form a sealed steam-generating chamber. The wall 37 is generally cylindrical and forms the annular groove 42 with an intermediate cylindrical wall 39 spaced slightly from the sealing plate 32 andprovided with a slot or notch 45 forming a steam passage at the upper portion of the periphery thereof. An inner wall or boss 49 forms an annular groove 47 with the intermediate wall 39. To provide an exit for steam from the groove 47, a port or passage 48 is provided near the upper end of the wall 49 and the bushing 35, and an exit bore or port 50 formed by the bushing 35 and a bore in the sole plate feeds the steam totone or more steam distributing grooves 51 in the bottom of the sole plate. The passage 48 is on the opposite side of the boss 49 from the notch 45 so that there is a tortuous passageway between the notch 45 and the passage 48. To cover the sealing plate 32, provide a heat barrier'and present a pleasing appearance, there is provided an outer cap 41 fitting over the sealing plate 32 and easily removable therefrom. The cap 41 f-rictionally engages the wallof the sealing plate 32 so that it may be readily removed by hand from the sealing plate 32 to expose the screw 34 so that the screw 34 may be unthreaded from the bushing 35 and the sealing plate 32 removed from the sole plate 15.

The spout 33 depends into the outer annular groove or chamber 42 in the sole plate 15, and supplies a regulated flow of water to the groove 42 which water is heated therein by the heated sole plate and generated into steam. The steam travels through the notch 45 in the wall 39 to the groove 47, which is concentric with the groove 42. The steam is heated further in the groove 47, travels throughthe passage 48 in the boss 49 and the bushing 35, and travels on out through the port 50 to the bottom of the sole plate and along the distributing grooves 51 in the sole plate ironing surface. For the purposes of establishing the terminology to be used in the claims, the annular grooves 42 and 47, the notch 45 and the passageway 48 are designated the steam generating chamber.

For cleaning out the grooves 42 and 47 and the bore 50, there-is formed from sheet metal a scraper plate 61 (FIGS. 6 and 7) which has a central post 60 twisted into a spiral so that it is provided with scraping edges which are designed to scrape the sides of the bore 50 and remove deposits and incrustations therefrom. The scraper plate 61 is also provided with depending scraping arms 63 and 64. The scraping arms 63 and 64 have wide scraping portions 62 slightly cupped to provide scraping edges 65 designed to scrape side walls of the grooves 42 and 47 to remove scale and incrustations therefrom. The portions 62 are also bent slightly (about 10 degrees) back along lines 68 from the arms 63 and 64 to provide bottom scraping edges 66. A handle 67 (FIGS. 4 and is secured to plate 61 by a pin 69 fitting into a bore 78 4 in the scraping plate 61. The handle 67 has a slot 71 into which the plate 61 fits interlockably. The handle 67 provides a higher torque for turning and oscillating the scraper plate 61 relative to the sole plate 15 to scrape incrustations therefrom.

It is believed to be readily apparent that the steam iron described above can also be used as a dry iron merely by shutting off the supply of water thereto and, if desired, disconnecting the hose 12 from the tube 31. Since the steam-generating chamber and passages in the sole plate 15 can be cleaned merely by removing the cap 41, screw 34 and the cap 32, and inserting and turning the scraper plate 61 relative to the sole plate 15, tap water may be readily used and the incrustations resulting therefrom are scraped away very conveniently.

While there has been illustrated and described what is at present believed to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention, numerous changes and modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to he securedby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a steam iron, a sole plate having an annular groove in the upper face thereof forming at least a portion of a steam-generating chamber, said sole plate also having a bore centered relative to said annular groove and extending through said sole plate, a passageway extending between said annular groove and said bore for delivering steam from said annular groove to said bore and to the bottom face of said pole plate, cap means covering said bore and said groove, and water supplying means carried by said cap means for supplying water to said annular groove.

2. In a steam iron, a cast aluminum sole plate provided with heating means, said sole plate also having .a central vertical bore therethrough and also being provided with a plurality of upwardly facing annular grooves of different diameters concentric with said bore, the upper end portion of said bore being tapped, said sole plate having passages spaced above the bottoms of the grooves interconnecting the grooves and said bore, a cup-shaped sealing plate adapted to be sealed to the outermost wall of said grooves to form a steam-generating chamber with said grooves, a cap screw threadable into said tapped portion of said bore to secure said sealing plate tosaid sole plate, and a tubular elbow secured to said sealing plate in a position in which one end thereof is directed into the outermost one of said grooves for supplying water to the outermost groove.

3. An electric steam iron comprising a sole plate having a heating element cast integrally therewith and a smooth ironing surface formed on the lower face thereof, an upwardly facing recess in said sole plate defining a steam chamber, a passageway in said sole plate extending from said steam chamber to the ironing surface, a downwardly facing cup-shaped shell member secured to said sole plate and covering the upper surface thereof, a handle member secured to said shell for manipulating said iron, said shell member having an opening therein above said recess,-a cover member secured to said sole plate in sealing engagement with said steam chamber, said cover member being positioned within said shell member opening and removable therefrom to provide access to said steam chamber, and a conduit of restricted diameter for supplying to said steam chamber small quantities of water to be flashed into steam and discharged through said passageway, said conduit being mounted in heat insulated relation to said sole plate.

4. An electric steam iron comprising a sole plate having a heating element cast integrally therewith and a smooth ironing surface formed on the lower face thereof, an upwardly facing recess in said sole plate defining a steam chamber, said recess including an annular groove, a

smaeos vertically extending bore in said sole plate positioned coaxially with respect to said groove and extending through said sole plate, steam conduit means extending between said groove and said bore, a downwardly facing cupshaped shell member secured to said sole plate and covering the upper surface thereof, a handle member secured to said shell for manipulating said iron, said shell member having an opening therein above said recess, a cover member secured to said sole plate in sealing engagement with said steam chamber, said cover member being positioned within said shell member opening and removable therefrom to provide access to said steam chamber, and means for supplying to said steam chamber small quantities of water to be flashed into steam and discharged through said bore.

5. A flash type electric steam iron comprising a cast aluminum sole plate having a pressing surface on the bottom thereof, a sheathed electric heating element cast integrally with said sole plate, walls integrally formed on the upper surface of said sole plate to define an upwardly facing recess, a cover for said recess cooperating therewith to form a steam chamber, a steam passageway extending through said sole plate from said recess to said pressing surface, a shell overlying said upper surface and having an opening located above said cover, said cover being substantially coextensive with said upwardly facing recess and removable through said opening, a water conduit of restricted diameter connected to said steam chamber for dropping small quantities of water on to said sole plate where they are immediately flashed into steam, and means supporting said conduit in heat insulated relationship with respect to said sole plate.

6. A flash type electric steam iron comprising an aluminum sole plate having a pressing surface on the bottom thereof, an electric heating element mounted in good heat exchange relation with said sole plate, walls integrally formed on the upper surface of said sole plate to define an upwardly facing recess, a cover for said recess cooperating therewith to form a steam chamber, a steam passageway extending through said sole piate from said recess to said pressing surface, a shell overlying said upper surface and having an opening located above said cover, said cover being substantially coextensive with said upwardly facing recess and removable through said opening, and a water supply tube of restricted diameter connected to said cover to deliver small quantities of water on to said sole plate within said chamber where the water is immediately flashed into steam, said water supply tube being spaced from said sole plate to heat insulate said tube with respect to said sole plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,347,224 Kako July 20, 1920 1,677,819 Faust July 17, 1928 2,322,103 Altman June 15, 1943 2,345,413 Morton Mar. 28, 1944 2,475,572 Schreyer July 5, 1949 2,499,835 Rakos Mar. 7, 1950 2,609,625 Bate Sept. 9, 1952 2,633,594 Robbins Apr. 7, 1953 2,700,236 Marvin et al Jan. 25, 1955 2,727,269 Dauer Dec. 20, 1955 2,744,344 Jepson May 8, 1956 2,792,652 Dawson May 21, 1957 2,833,062 Schott et a1 May 6, 1958 

1. IN A STEAM IRON, A SOLE PLATE HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE UPPER FACE THEREOF FORMING AT LEAST A PORTION OF A STEAM-GENERATING CHAMBER, SAID SOLE PLATE ALSO HAVING A BORE CENTERED RELATIVE TO SAID ANNULAR GROOVE AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SOLE PLATE, A PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR GROOVE AND SAID BORE FOR DELIVERING STEAM FROM SAID ANNULAR GROOVE TO SAID BORE AND TO THE BOTTOM FACE OF SAID POLE PLATE, CAP MEANS COVERING SAID BORE AND SAID GROOVE, AND WATER SUPPLYING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CAP MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO SAID ANNULAR GROOVE. 